Super tasty, super easy!
Do you have an Instant Pot? I got one recently and absolutely love it for perfectly cooking legumes and grains quickly, with no fuss. It’s great for cooking legumes when you are trying to infuse lots of flavor from herbs and spices. Lentils are like little sponges and when you cook them with the spices the flavor explodes!
This is a super quick recipe for taco filling using lentils instead of ground meat. I set the Instant Pot to cook for just 8 minutes so the lentils are not over-cooked. They should have a little texture.
You can use this taco “meat” in lots of creative ways:
- As a topping for a taco salad
- Stuffed into an enchilada
- On top of nachos
- Top a Mexican-style pizza with it!
- Thrown into a spicy pasta dish
And did I mention, the ingredients used in this dish are probably already in your pantry?
- green lentils
- common household spices, like chili powder, cumin, and oregano
- tomato paste
What is your favorite way to use your instant pot?
Instant Pot Lentil Taco "Meat"
Prep time
Cook time
Total time
Try this delicious and spicy lentil taco "meat" on your next taco Tuesday. So easy and so quick because it's made in an Instant Pot!
Author: Rachel Carr
Recipe type: Entree
Cuisine: Vegan
Serves: 4 servings
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 onion, chopped
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 tablespoon chili powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ¾ teaspoon cumin
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- ¼ teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 tablespoon tomato paste
- 1¾ cup water
- 1 cup green lentils
- salt and black pepper to taste
Instructions
- Set your Instant Pot to "sauté" and allow to heat up for 1 minute. Add the olive oil, onion and garlic. Sauté for 3 minutes or until browned. Add the chili powder, salt, cumin, oregano , garlic powder, and tomato paste. Sauté for 1 minute. Add the water and lentils and stir well. Place the Instant Pot lid on tightly. Change the setting to "Manual" coking for 8 minutes on regular pressure. Allow to cook completely and then wait about 10 minutes while the Instant Pot gradual depressurizes enough for you to remove the lid. Open the lid and stir well. Taste and adjust seasonings if desired.
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hey there this looks amazing! i was wondering how many days this would be good for? i’m trying to get into meal prepping!
4-5 days, I imagine!
These are delicious and the recipe makes way more than I thought. The only change I made was to use 1 cup water and 3/4 cup of salsa. I’m new to the instant pot and this was a perfect recipe to get started with. The timing is spot on and the flavor is great. Thank you!
awesome!
This looks so good! How would you recommend to adapt this to not use an instant pot?
In order to adapt this to stove top you just need to use a regular pot and cook it longer. I think it cooks for about 45 minutes when it’s not made in an Instant Pot. You’ll need to add more water depending on how long it cooks. As you cook it, keep an eye on it and add water as needed until the lentils are cooked to tenderness.
I would love e to make this but I only have splint peas not whole green lentils. I do jabe whole black and small brown lentils. Do you know cooking time difference and water ratios of different?